Elton John Says Legalizing Weed Is “One Of The Greatest Mistakes Of All Time”

Time is in the midst of rolling out its year-end package, which reportedly will once again feature Donald Trump as Person Of The Year. OK, Time! Another honoree is Elton John, who the magazine has named its Icon Of The Year. The story includes the line, “He has bested or evaded the four horsemen that cut down his generation’s boldest names: drug addiction, AIDS, irrelevance, and suicide.” OK, Time!

John speaks about the eye infection that caused him to lose his sight, which he and husband David Furnish are hoping will be a temporary ailment. He also talks about his Broadway musical about Tammy Faye Bakker, which closed days after it opened: “It’s a shame for everyone who put so much work in it. But that’s what happens when you take a chance.” He also strongly criticizes the decision to legalize marijuana. Here’s that paragraph from the article:

John now divides his life into pre- and post-sober periods. He has helped many people kick drugs and has offered to help many more. He is Eminem’s sponsor. He orchestrated English pop star Robbie Williams’ first stint in rehab. He tried, without success, to help George Michael. “It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an a–hole, and it’s tough to hear,” he says. “Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an a–hole.” Those struggles have made him doubt the wisdom of legal weed. “I maintain that it’s addictive. It leads to other drugs. And when you’re stoned—and I’ve been stoned—you don’t think normally,” he says. “Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”

Asked if he feels the same way about alcohol, he pauses, exhales, and asks Furnish for help. His husband, who is also sober and has already prevented the star from oversharing once during the interview, sits up on the bed and offers a balanced answer, suggesting that while alcohol is part of the fabric of society, there are studies that find it’s much less healthy than people believe it to be.

I’m genuinely curious to see what kind of comment section this post produces.